Reports: Charlie Trotter dead at age 54 [Updates]

Tragic and shocking news out of Chicago today: NBC reports that celebrated chef Charlie Trotter has died at age 54.

According to the NBC report, Trotter “was found unresponsive at a Chicago residence and was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”

The Chicago Tribune has more details from the scene at Trotter’s home; his wife was said to be “yelling hysterically.’’

Charlie Trotter closed his famous eponymous Chicago institution last year, following 25 years of business. His influences on both the American and Chicago dining scene were monumental, and he helped usher in the tasting menu popularity in the United States. In the last year, he found himself in the news in several bizarre incidents, including an altercation with high school art students, a counterfeit wine lawsuit, and a strange appearance at his restaurant auction.

Expect more updates on the death as more details come to light.

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Updates [ongoing]: Reactions from the restaurant world:

RIP Chef Trotter, you were my biggest supporter when I started working on the @BocusedOrUSA , so sad